The 9 Best RTX 2080 Laptops (2020) – Specs & Reviews

July 21, 2019

If you’re serious gamer, have a big budget, and want the absolute best, then the best RTX 2080 laptop is going to be top of your list.

The fact is that the Nvidia RTX GPU’s are the most powerful ever produced. Their new graphics technology is way ahead of where we thought they would be right now. For instace, ray tracing has made reflections possible which has taken PC gaming to a whole new level of potential.

But all this power comes at a price. Even with recent price drops, the RTX range of GPUs still comes at a premium price. So if you do want a cheaper option, but will still produce plenty of power see our best gaming laptops under $2000.

However, if you are a gaming enthusiast looking for the latest generation of graphics cards in a laptop, you need to choose a complete system that unlocks the potential of the GPU. So, we have created this list of the 9 best RTX 2080 laptops to help you get the most bang for your buck.

10 Best RTX 2080 Laptops

1. Alienware Area 51m RTX 2080 Laptop

Our choice for the best RTX 2080 laptop overall, the Dell Alienware Area 51m may just have changed the way gaming laptops are forever. It’s the first genuinely upgradable gaming laptop, and we mean fully upgradable.

As a result, you’re able to put in a new CPU, upgrade the graphics card, basically do everything you can do with a desktop. It removes the biggest downside to investing in a laptop for gaming. The issue around being outclassed within a couple of years by newer components, unable to do anything about it.

But looking at the specs, it’s going to be several years before you get to that problem anyway. The Alienware Area 51m RTX 2080 Laptop is literally incredible in its power:

Screen Size: 17.3” UHD

CPU: i9-9900K (5GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: Up to 2TB SSD + 1TB Hybrid Drive

Memory: up to 64GB DDR4 RAM

The combination of a ninth generation Intel core i9 processor plus the sheer power and grace of the 2080, backed up by a massive 64 GB of RAM, means this will deal with literally any game out there.

Best Value RTX 2080 Laptop

Whatever game you play, this RTX 2080 laptop is a beast. The latest AAA games will run seamlessly.

You won’t see any motion blur, stutter, ghosting or tearing, due to its incredible 144 Hz refresh rate, NVIDIA G-SYNC tech, and the power of the graphics card.

Sound is also not a problem, powered by 3W tweeters and 3W woofers, working together to produce crisp top end, deep bass, and zero distortion. Add to that the full range of ports, including Thunderbolt 3, plus Internet data transfer rates of up to 1.7 GB per second, and you can see this thing is never going to struggle.

On the downside, like most other top end gaming laptops it’s heavy. Over 10 pounds in weight.

In addition, you also need two chargers. That’s right, it will need to be plugged into two wall outlets to deliver the power to recharge it, which does limit its portability.

But in return for those sacrifices, just look at the power you are getting for your money:

Screen Size: 17.3”

CPU: i7-8750H (3.9GHz)

Graphics Card: RTX 2080

Hard Drive: 512GB SSD + 1TB Firecuda SSHD

Memory: 16GB DDR4

Now, the ASUS ROG G703GX is quite a lot of money, currently being priced around $3000. But this is an investment. It’s not something that is going to be obsolete in two years.

For the money though, you’re getting incredible graphics, the power to cope with any game, and a laptop that will stay cool under any amount of pressure.

If you’re looking for a RTX 2080 laptop that can truly play any game out there at 144 kHz, rendering beautiful smooth graphics, then this needs to be on your list to consider.

3. MSI GE75 Raider-023

Combining a powerful 8th generation Intel CPU, with a 144 hz display, and the next generation graphics GPU. The MSI GE75 Raider-023 is another top end gaming laptop that will need some serious consideration.

You’re getting incredible storage space, 3 TB in total, +32 GB of DDR RAM. All this combined, will give you gaming performance above many other laptops in this price range, currently around $3000.

In terms of the core features you are getting, even at a glance they are impressive:

Screen Size: 17.3” Ultra-thin bezel

CPU: i7-8750H (4.1GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: 1TB SSD + 2TB HDD

Memory: 32GB (16GB x 2) DDR4

So as you can see, the high-end specification delivers growling power, that is capable of dealing with any current game. Plus, it will likely be able to handle any game released in the next couple of years.

On the downside, this laptop can get hot when it’s working hard. In benchmark testing, up to 120°F.

Now it’s well equipped with fans and software, so it’s not going to overheat. But, this isn’t one you are going to be comfortable having on your lap, so you may want to take a look at our laptop cooling pad comparisons page.

You can upgrade components, but it’s not easy, and requires some research and knowledge. However, generally, you won’t go wrong if your goal is a laptop that can deliver the power the RTX 2080 graphics card needs to shine.

4. Razer Blade 15 RTX

From the outside the latest version of the Razer Blade 15 RTX doesn’t look too different to the previous one. It has the same processor and display options.

However, it is chunkier. That’s because they’ve had to pack in the power of the Nvidia RTX 2080.

But it was well worth it, because it’s an incredible machine for the price. It’s certainly not large in comparison to other top end gaming laptops. This machine is definitely one you can carry around during the day.

It’s currently available for around $3000, and for that substantial amount of money you get the following key features:

Screen Size: 15.6”

CPU: i7-8750H (4.1GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: 512GB SSD

Memory: 16GB DDR4

A point to make here is that it’s another 144 GHz refresh rate display. This gives it the rare ability to work at full capacity thanks to the power driving it. It’s beautiful and there’s not a AAA game out there that won’t perform perfectly.

The screen is beautifully designed, and you really never going to suffer from glare, or problems with viewing the game you play.

It’s not as thick as some of the other gaming laptops we’re talking about here either.

But, you do have to consider the fact you getting a slightly smaller screen. That may not be an issue, but if it’s going to be your main gaming device for the long term. Then you have to consider if a 15.6 inch screen is going to be enough a couple of years down the line.

5. Alienware M17

The Alienware M17 is basically the big brother of the M15. But when we talk about big, we are actually talking about features and power, rather than physical size.

You see, the thing is the M17 is one of the lightest gaming laptops on the market today in this class. Even with a 17.3 inch screen, it only weighs 2.6kg, and is 23 mm deep. You can carry this around all day and be fine.

Just be sure that if you do carry around you keep an eye on it, because its price tag is around $4300 currently.

See you are paying for that increase design technology. But for that price, you’re getting a strong set of features alongside its relatively diminutive physical stature:

Screen Size: 17.3” UHD

CPU: i9-8950HK (5GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: Up to 1TB SSD + 1TB Hybrid Drive

Memory: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz

That combination of Intel Core i9 K-series processor, fast DDR4 RAM, and of course the incredible Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, is as close to perfect as you are going to get.

Because it’s made by Dell, you also get a wealth of choice. You can upgrade various components to get an even better machine for the long term. But obviously it’s going to increase the cost even more.

The only sticking point for this machine is that price.

When you compare features, it’s slightly more expensive than some of the other RTX 2080 laptop models out there. But you are getting top quality components and build quality in return.

6. MSI GT75 Titan

If we were looking for some words to describe a MSI GT75 Titan, then powerful, good-looking and bulky are the words that spring to mind.

Let’s cover that negative at the start. This gaming laptop is one of the heaviest around. It weighs 10 a half pounds, and in combination with its large screen size, it’s certainly not something that is easily transportable.While this won’t be a deal breaker for some people, it’s certainly a consideration.

In terms of its specification, you’re getting the following powerful features:

7. ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 takes an innovative approach to trying to contain the power you need to get desktop results from a gaming laptop.

This has resulted in some interesting design changes, that are unusual in this niche marketplace. The main problems are always around heat management and getting everything in the chassis.

What you get with this little beast is a strangely positioned keyboard, and cooling vents in places you wouldn’t expect them.

So, the first thing you have to understand is that this is a pure gaming machine. You can’t sit and type much on this, and it doesn’t have a webcam. It’s not a productivity laptop.

But what you are getting is an incredible amount of raw gaming power for your money:

Screen Size: 17.3”

CPU: i7-8750H (4.1GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: 1TB SSD

Memory: 16GB DDR4

In terms of why you would buy this, the gaming performance, it is first class. You get the expected full 144Hz refresh rate, G-Sync and Intel Optimus compatibility, which is an unusual bonus, plus a a three-millisecond response time.

8. MSI GS75 Stealth-202

There are some incredibly powerful gaming laptops coming onto the market at the minute, packed with the power of the RTX 2080 graphics card.

But a lot of the current gaming laptops based on this graphics card have a single problem: how to pack in the power? To do this, they have two bulk up in size, like bodybuilders on steroids.

But thankfully, there are some rare exceptions, and the MSI GS75 Stealth-202 is one of them.

Despite what’s inside it, and having a large 17.3 inch screen, it only weighs 5 pounds. This is nearly half of some of the other comparable gaming laptops out there. In addition, it’s nearly a third thinner than those beasts as well.

So, what are you sacrificing for that true portability?

Well, you probably have already guessed that it’s going to be battery power. Most of the power gaming laptops can manage three hours nowadays, but this will struggle to last two hours if you are playing an intensive game.

But if you can keep it plugged in, this isn’t really much of a problem.

In addition, it only comes with 256GB of storage which can quickly evaporate when installing games. However, 256GB will be more than enough for some users that want a powerful portable gaming laptop.

Look at what you get for your $2800:

Screen Size: 17.3” Ultra-thin bezel

CPU: i7-8750H (4.1GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: 256GB SSD

Memory: 16GB DDR4

At the heart of this gaming laptop is the power of its display. The graphics card delivers incredible performance, and the pictures produced on the high-quality screen are simply stunning.

It’s 144 GHz refresh rate doesn’t skip a beat, being able to run games like Battlefield V at 57 frames per second, with ray tracing on.

So, if you don’t mind a shorter battery life, less storage but want a smaller, sleek design, that delivers an incredible graphical punch. Then the MSI GS75 Stealth-202 is a machine you should be taking a serious look at.

9. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX531

At a glance, the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX531 seems to be the baby brother of the GX701. But with nearly the same price tag, being just $300 cheaper. So, is it worth being just $300 cheaper when it’s got a 15.6 inch screen, rather than the impressive 17.3 inch screen?

Well, the first clue is in its hardware. Apart from the screen, it has the same CPU, the same incredible Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card, and the same 16 GB of DDR4 RAM:

Screen Size: 15.6”

CPU: i7-8750H (4.1GHz)

Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080

Hard Drive: 512GB SSD

Memory: 16GB DDR4

So where does it cut corners in order to be so much smaller, in fact one of the smallest, thinnest gaming laptops in this class currently on the market?

Well, it does this through having a smaller hard drive. Interestingly, that’s it. The GX531 doesn’t compromise on battery life any further, which was already a slight issue in the GX701. In fact, benchmark testing puts this ahead of that machine, with nearly 3 hours on average.

It’s also very light, weighing in at just 4.6 pounds. That’s incredible when you consider what’s packed inside.

In addition, it has a 144 GHz 1080p screen, that is absolutely gorgeous in the depth it produces. Again, as you would expect with these specs, animation is effortless, even on the most demanding of modern game titles.

On the downside you do still get the same keyboard problem as with the GX701. It’s uncomfortable, and you certainly couldn’t use it as a working laptop as well. But you do get a webcam, it’s not great, but it’s there.

So overall, the Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX531 offers a top end gaming experience, that’s going to be future proof for years to come. In terms of visuals and performance, it’s as good as anything on the market at the moment. Battery life is decent, and you are only sacrificing a slightly smaller screen.

About The Author

David has been interested in computers for over 25 years. From playing games on his parents computer as a kid in the early 90s, to building his first PC in 2003 (and many more since then). He has a passion for everything related to computing and this site is dedicated to helping others find the info they need.